Meta and Yandex were tracking Android users’ browsing data far more closely than they should have been, according to researchers. They bypassed the Android “sandbox” in some browsers, letting them de-anonymize users, track how they browse, and then use that data in native Facebook, Instagram, and Yandex apps.
Google is investigating the issue, saying that the companies used “capabilities present in many browsers across iOS and Android in unintended ways that blatantly violate our security and privacy principles.” In statements to Ars Technica, Meta and Yandex said they have discontinued the tracking, while denying wrongdoing.